The clay-court swing moves to Rome for the Italian Open. The best players in the world will compete in this WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 tournament as the build-up continues for the 2026 French Open. Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic are expected to headline the men’s singles field in Rome, while Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, and Coco Gauff will lead the women’s field.
Here’s the latest on all you need to know ahead of the 2026 Italian Open.
2026 Italian Open Draw Date
The draw ceremony for the 2026 Italian Open will take place on Monday, May 4, at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. EST). The event will take place at the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. 96 players will take part in both the men’s and women’s singles events.
Format and Daily Schedule
The 2026 Italian Open will follow a best-of-three-sets single-elimination format, with the 32 seeded players receiving byes in the first round. The main draw matches in the women’s singles event will begin on Tuesday, May 5, and the men’s main draw will start on Wednesday, May 6.
The top seeds will begin their Italian Open campaigns in the second round, scheduled to start on Thursday, May 7.
With this being a two-week event, the quarterfinals will begin on Tuesday, May 12. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday and Friday (May 14 and 15). The women’s singles final will take place on Saturday, May 16. The men’s singles final will be held on Sunday, May 17.
Top Seeds
Men’s Singles
In the men’s singles, the Italian Open field will be headlined by local favorite Sinner. The Italian lost in the final in Rome last year and will be eager to go one better this time around. Djokovic is also in the field for the Italian Open as of this writing, but the Serb has been sidelined with injury for some time now. Carlos Alcaraz will miss the tournament due to a wrist injury.
Here are the top 8 men’s seeds:
- Jannik Sinner
- Alexander Zverev
- Novak Djokovic
- Félix Auger-Aliassime
- Ben Shelton
- Alex de Minaur
- Daniil Medvedev
- Lorenzo Musetti
Women’s Singles
Sabalenka, Rybakina, Iga Świątek, and Coco Gauff are all in the women’s singles field. Local favorite Jasmine Paolini is the reigning champion.
Here are the top 8 women’s seeds:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Elena Rybakina
- Coco Gauff
- Iga Świątek
- Jessica Pegula
- Amanda Anisimova
- Elina Svitolina
- Mirra Andreeva
How to Watch the 2026 Italian Open
Fans in the United States can watch the Internazionali BNL d’Italia or the Italian Open live on Tennis Channel. In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will broadcast this ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament live.
Fans in Canada can tune in to TSN, and those in Australia can watch live on beIN Sports. In China, the Italian Open will be broadcast on Youko. Sky Italia will air the live action in Italy, while those in India can watch the live coverage on FanCode. You can follow this link for more information on how to watch the Italian Open.
Prize Money and Points Breakdown
The 2026 tournament will offer a total prize money purse of €8,235,540 (US$9,659,053) for both the men’s and women’s events. The men’s and women’s singles champions will both receive €1,007,165 (US$1,181,253) and 1,000 ranking points. The singles runners-up will get €535,585 (US$628,160) and 650 ranking points.
Who Are the Defending Champions?
Alcaraz won the men’s singles by beating Sinner last year but will not return to defend his title, as he is currently dealing with a wrist injury. Paolini won the women’s singles title by defeating Gauff. The Italian also won the women’s doubles event alongside compatriot Sara Errani.
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Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić won the men’s doubles title last year.
